25 June 2021
Following a recent review of its organisational structure, Southern Downs Regional Council has this week undertaken some internal changes to strategically support the future needs of the region.
A comprehensive review of the current organisational structure identified the need to realign the management of functions within several departments to streamline communication, improve processes and enhance effective decision making.
Council’s Chief Executive Officer Dave Burges said that while some staff had been affected, the organisation’s first priority was to redeploy those staff into other vacant roles within Council, and where ever possible, retain them within the organisation.
“It is important to note that as an organisation we are always looking to improve how we operate and we are constantly evolving to meet the needs of how we deliver our core business,” Mr Burges said.
“I sincerely acknowledge that this is a difficult and unsettling time for the affected staff and the organisation in general.
“Staff who have been affected by the realignment have all been offered other potential employment opportunities within the organisation.”
Mr Burges assured the community that these decisions were not made lightly and support a future vision for Council to cut red tape and be more transparent and adaptable in uncertain times.
“The Southern Downs region has not escaped the effects of recent world-wide events whilst still recovering from the impacts of prolonged drought and devastating bushfires,” he said.
“These are challenging times and in order to maintain Council’s service levels to a standard accepted and supported by the community and to ensure our long term stability, it is unavoidable to evolve as an organisation.
“I will be working hard to ensure we are a Council that our community and employees can be proud of. As part of the review, I have established an internal Organisational Development Team made up of staff from all levels of the organisation who will share their whole-of-organisation views on processes, systems and communications that can be improved and impact positively on our service delivery.
“There are a number of exciting projects on the horizon for the Southern Downs region and I want to thank the community for their patience as we navigate this period of change.”
Any enquiries in this regard can be directed to the CEO via mail@sdrc.qld.gov.au.